Helping vegans in the Sacramento area find restaurants with great menu choices for themselves and their non-vegan friends and family.

Monday, September 19, 2011

La Trattoria Bohemia

For years, I drove past La Trattoria Bohemia, a charming little restaurant on J Street in East Sacramento, on my way to or from somewhere else.I always thought I'd like to check it out, but somehow, I was never near the restaurant at mealtime.One day several years ago, my son and I finally decided to stop in for lunch and we were both very glad we did.

La Trattoria Bohemia offers both Italian and Czech cuisine.I knew I wouldn't be able to eat the schnitzels and the goulashes on the Czech side of the menu, but there's always something for me on an Italian menu.As it turns out, La Trattoria Bohemia has several vegan menu options.

My favorite dishes are the Insalata Pomodoro, a nice big salad made of tomatoes, avocado, and fresh basil, and dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.There are times when that feels like a meal in itself, but if I need something more, I order their pasta (either spaghetti or penne) withaglio-olio, a simple olive oil and garlic sauce.And if I feel like having dessert after that, La Trattoria Bohemia offers the Artisan Trio Sorbetto, three scoops of Italian sorbet.

They also make excellent pizza, which I have ordered on occasion with vegetarian toppings and no cheese.Other vegan menu options include brusceta, mixed green salad (if dressed with vinaigrette or oil and vinegar), pasta with tomato sauce, and various side dishes, including avocado, applesauce, asparagus, and their delicious roasted rosemary potatoes.The vegetarian panini can also be made vegan if ordered without the cheese and pesto sauce.

La Trattoria Bohemia has a nice selection of wines from Italy and the Czech Republic, as well as domestic wines.And I'm not a beer drinker, but their selection of beers from the Czech Republic looks quite impressive.

La Trattoria Bohemia is located at 3649 J Street.Their phone number is 916-455-7803, and their website address is http://www.latrattoriabohemia.com/index.php.They are open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, and from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday.The restaurant is closed on Monday.